A liquid crystal shows great anisotropy in its dielectric constant, magnetic susceptibility or refractive index. Attempts have been made extensively to apply liquid crystals to various display devices by properly combining the properties inherent to liquid crystals, and various products using liquid crystals such as electronic portable calculators have been marketed. It is expected that various products utilizing the characteristics of liquid crystals will be extensively developed in future.
In addition to conducting research on the utility of liquid crystals, basic research work on the properties of liquid crystals have also been extensively undertaken. However, liquid crystalline substances or polymers having electric conductivity have not yet been developed.